8 Ways to Boost Your Confidence as a Coach (So You Can Start Putting Yourself “Out There”)
I remember the first time I posted a reel on Instagram. It was a 1-minute video of me talking about my business, and I was terrified. It took me weeks to work up the courage to post it!
I know how hard it can be to put yourself “out there” as a coach.
We procrastinate in so many ways or just keep hoping clients will show up knocking on our doorstep. If only it were that easy, sigh.
The truth is, if we want our online business to succeed, we need to tell people about it.
Here are 8 ways you can boost your confidence
(+ 8 actionable tips you can start putting into practice—today)
1. COMMUNITY
This has been the #1 reason I’m able to “feel the fear and do it anyway.” From the moment my coaching certification program ended, I knew building a business in isolation wouldn’t work for me. I needed to be in community for inspiration, support, and accountability.
Support goes a long way to boost your confidence. You have people to encourage you, cheer you on, and a place to “lick your wounds” if needed. It’s a safe space to experiment expressing yourself and trying out new things.
It’s so much easier to leave your comfort zone when you have a safe space to come back to.
THE BIGGER THE CHALLENGE, THE BIGGER THE NEED FOR SUPPORT.
TIP: Find a coaching community that's aligned with your values and interests. It could be a support group, mastermind, coaching book club, or mentor coaching classes. You can find many on platforms such as Mighty Networks, Circle, Slack, and Facebook. And don’t forget you can always create something yourself and invite people to join you!
2. MANAGE YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO FEAR
We usually feel we need to get rid of fear before we can move forward. The thing is we might be waiting a long time, if not forever, for this to happen. Fear is a natural emotion that’s doing its job to keep us safe, and to borrow a common phrase, “what you resist, persists.”
There’s power in bringing awareness to your fear. This might look like feeling it in your body or looking at the stories you're telling yourself. The truth is, fear tends to diminish the more you take action despite of it.
TIP: Try inviting fear in and asking yourself, What’s it trying to tell me? You can also try a supportive practice like Tara Brach’s RAIN to help you develop more awareness and self-compassion around difficult emotions (www.tarabrach.com/rain/).
3. RE-DEFINE FAILURE
There’s a widespread belief that failure is “bad,” and ultimately means we’re not enough. But what if there was no such thing as failure, just learning? Nelson Mandela once said, “I never lose. I either win or learn.”
An experimental mindset is key. Things aren’t usually great from the get-go. It takes time, patience, and a lot of work to hone our craft.
TIP: After every coaching experience, even if no one shows up–yes that happens—get curious and ask yourself: What did I learn from this? What worked? What didn’t work? What could be different next time?
4. RE-DEFINE SUCCESS
Society’s definition of success generally revolves around achieving wealth or fame. But who says this has to be your definition?
The beauty of life is that you get to choose what success means to you. Let’s say your intention in life is to feel joy, ask yourself, Am I experiencing joy right now?
TIP: Go through a values exercise to clarify what’s most important to you. Your values serve as a compass pointing you in the right direction. When you feel lost or start adopting a prescribed view of success, it’s time to re-align with your values.
Brené Brown has a great list of values on her website as well as an exercise in her book, “Dare to Lead” (www.brenebrown.com).
Added Bonus: Getting clear on your business values (and communicating them) helps you connect with clients who share similar values, lets them know what you stand for in the marketplace and what differentiates you, and helps you approach your marketing from a place of authenticity.
5. FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS
Seeing yourself through the lens of your strengths is a game changer. It sheds greater light on who you are, how you like to work, and what makes you unique, so there’s no need to be like any other coach out there, you can be YOU in your work and your marketing.
This is a great antidote to comparisonitis!
TIP: It’s really hard to read the label when you're inside the jar! For this reason, I invite you to take a strengths assessment to help you figure out what you naturally do best. If you can find a certified coach to go over the results with you, even better!
HERE ARE 3 SUGGESTIONS:
YouMap® is my favorite assessment. It’s a holistic self-discovery tool that assesses your strengths, values, skills, and personality-based interests (it includes Clifton Strengths). I took it a few years back and it literally changed the way I view myself. I loved it so much I became certified in it. (www.myyoumap.com).
Clifton Strengths. You can also take this one on its own. You can opt to purchase a report of your top 5 strengths or unlock your 34 strengths. (www.gallup.com).
The VIA Survey of Character Strengths. This assessment is free and gives you your top 24 character strengths without having to upgrade to a paid offer. (www.viacharacter.org).
6. CLARIFY YOUR NICHE
I used to dread the question, “So, what do you do?” It was so hard for me to describe what I did as a coach. I would usually offer some seemingly awkward explanation that left me doubting myself and the person I was talking with confused.
When I clarified my niche, I started talking about my work more easily and offering my services with much more confidence and ease.
TIP: I know niching down can be extremely challenging and it can take years. I recommend experimenting and asking yourself after every session, Was this session energizing or draining, and why? This will give you great information to start narrowing down your niche.
EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT.
Try out different offers and help people solve different problems. (This is exactly how I went from health & wellness coach to transformational coach to copywriting coach and website designer!)
Resources:
Tad Hargrave from Marketing For Hippies (www.marketingforhippies.com) has tons of free resources on niching. He also has a great marketing membership program that you can join for more guided support and learning.
Read Greg Faxon’s article “The 25 Most Lucrative Coaching Niches Of 2024” and take his niching quiz. https://www.gregfaxon.com/blog/coaching-niches.
7. CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
It can be very rewarding and reassuring to see yourself through the eyes of your clients.
TIP: Read over your testimonials when you feel your confidence wavering. If you don’t have any, ask a coaching buddy what they think your strengths as a coach
8. FOCUS ON YOUR “WHY”
Last but not least, ask yourself, What’s driving me to do this work? What’s my overarching purpose here? This can help you get out of your head and turn the focus from you (What are people going to think of me being a coach? Will I feel like a failure if no one signs up for my newsletter? What if my Instagram reel doesn’t get any likes?) to those you want to help with your work and how they will benefit from it.
TIP: Again, this comes down to your values and overarching purpose. Next time you’re feeling insecure about putting yourself “out there,” think about your “why” for inspiration. You can even write it down and have it next to your computer to be constantly reminded of it.
I know putting yourself “out there” can be really challenging, but it can also be an opportunity to expand your comfort zone and grow in new ways. Don’t let the fear of visibility get in the way of growing your business.
Remember, you grow as your business grows 🌱
Trust the process and enjoy the journey ✨
